Tips and Advice: Travelling in Rome , Italy ; Montreux , Switzerland

Rome Airport (FCO)

- when arriving from international, be prepared especially in rainy weather, that you will be exiting the plane outside in the open elements, and then you will be boarding a shuttle bus on the tarmac to a bullding. So remember this when its raining or if it's chilly weather.

- a huge help was to know the word "USCITA" means "EXIT"! Very useful when trying to find the way out of the Metro Stations, the Termini Station, the airport building

- if you plan to take a quick trip to the Vatican (ie. you have a long layover in Rome), take the Leonardo Da Vinci Express train to Termini Station first. Make sure you get on the right one, because there are two types of trains from FCO airport going to Termini. There's one that makes several stops before Termini Station, and there's another one that's direct non-stop to Termini Station. At the railway station at FCO airport, buy a ticket (11 Euro on Aug 2008) at the ticket machine. Then look at the black sign with the destinations listed out alongside a number. You will see either "1", "2" or "3" . NOTE, the number corresponds to the track number, NOT THE TRAIN NUMBER. The track numbers are on signposts beside the track. The Leonardo Da Vinci Express Train will have a "DIR" beside "TERMINI"; ie. this means direct non-stop to Termini Station. It will be around a 35 minute direct ride. If you get on the wrong train (non-direct), you will be stopping at the many stations before Termini, and it will obviously be longer than a 35 minute ride.

- remember too that from Termini Station to FCO airport, look for "DIR" , for the non-stop train to FCO airport. This train is usually at BIN 23 or 24 (which means at "Gate" 23 or 24).

- if going to the Vatican with the same hand-carry bags from your air travel, be aware that the streets are your ancient stone/or/brink surfaces. If you have small wheels, you might end up almost dragging your bag on the ground here and there.

- by the way, my wife and I found the steets and sidewalks not as clean as we would like. The garbage bins are out in the open (not in the back alleys). If you are a particular person in the cleanliness arena, you might want to avoid wearing flip-flops (and roller bags with small wheels).

- flushing the toilet in public places: there will either be a rectangular push plate or a small metal cylindrical knob on the wall behind the toilet. The rectangle plate is easy to flush. Just push it. However, to flush using the button, I found that I had to somewhat be forceful in pushing it, and then I had to hold it down for a good 5 seconds to get the flushing action started. Also, be aware that some of the restaurants use the old fashioned skeleton key lock for you to use to lock your individual toilet stall door. I temporarily locked myself in because I didn't know how to unlock the door. To unlock, you will find the skeleton key still in the lock. Turn it only half way and then turn the door knob to open while you are the half-way mark of turning the key. If you turn the key the full direction, you will still be on your way to a semi-panick state of closterphobia.

- during our arrivals both times to Rome's FCO airport from Toronto and from Geneva, we found ourselves at the same area of the building after exiting the plane and shuttlebus. The path in the building divided : go left or go a little to the right. The signage for the left hallway said "Transit" and something else. The signage for the right hallway said "Passenger Service". If you're not too careful, you might think that the "Transit" might mean the way out to catch the public transit and metro or railway trains. THIS IS NOT CORRECT! This is for aiport transfers and connections. The Passenger Service sign is the one to follow if you want to exit the airport!... for example to catch the Leonardo Da Vinci Express train to Termini.

- For the Leonarda DaVinci Express Train, follow the "USCITA" signs (means "EXIT") within the airport, then look for the graphical pictures signs of a train. You will be looking for an escalator going down, then you walk for a bit , pass under a low ceiling, and then go up another escalator.

- you can catch the Metro trains from Termini station. The Line A or Line B Metro stations are serviced by underground SUBWAY trains (NOT street buses as some people might think if they see "METRO LINEA A OR LINEA B). When you know which station/ destination you want to go to, next determine which Line it's on - Line A or Line B. Then follow the signs to one of the 2 lines. Each Line A or B will then give you two choices, depending on which direction you want to travel. This may seem confusing at first, but you will get used to it.



Montreux, Switzerland

- ask your hotel if they offer the Riveria Card. This is a discount card that allows you to travel the buses in Montreux for free. It also allows 50% discount on the Railways, ferries and various local attractions, such as the aqua park and entertainment complexes.

- shopping centers are at the "Forum" at the Casino area and also at Vevey.

- most of the retail merchandise stores along Grand Rue are closed on Sundays

- Bus service stops or becomes very infrequent around midnight. Taxi cabs after that may be your next bet, but they can be expensive.

- at the Casino , there are no card games during the day. On Sundays, it opens at 11:00

- the Catholic church is located just one block up the hill from the Casino. The first mass service on Sunday is at 10:30am, held in French.

- we learned that instead of saying "carbonated" water, there they say "water with gas".

- it's very clean and safe in Montreux. We walked along the streets well past midnight on several occasions. There's hardly any traffic. And where there are groups of people on the sidewalk because of the night clubs, there is a police car parked nearby with police watching on.

- about the cleanliness: my wife took off her high heels because they were getting sore as we walked along the lake front paved walkway. Although she walked barefoot in the evening a good 15 minute walk, she was pleased to find out that the soles of her feet were not dirty at all!

- the night clubs in Montreux are "The Black Pearl" and "Imperial" and "Paradise". The one we visited was Black Pearl; it plays mostly European DJ-mix of techno hop. There were a only a few American hip-hop songs we recognized, but it was all good. It's mostly a youngish crowd too. The drinks cost 10 franks each, whether it was water, beer or Martini. In order to use a credit card, the minimum is 50 francs, but you can have a running tab. Just make sure your bartender knows this. It can be very busy at Black Pearl (it was very busy on Thursday when we went), and there were 3 bartenders (no waitress). Note there is smoking allowed in the bars, so be prepared to come back to your hotel smelling like a smoke room, if you're not used to it. We took a long shower when we came back, really noticing the smell of the cigarette as it washed off.



** some fun things to do like what we did:

- visit Chillon Castle where the famous poet Lord Byron was imprisoned and which inspired him to write "The Prisoner..." poem

- visit one of the several local "community" wineries where they offer wine tasting; we went to Chebrex and enjoyed their white, rose and red wines, made from charlaise(?) grapes/ pinot noir,(?), etc.

- go visit the "Tourism Montreux" building a few blocks on Grand Rue from the Casino. Inquire about the various excursions available from Montreux to the different areas around the country and beyond. We had an excursion
organized by our company / noni juice supplier Tahitian Noni International

- we went by chartered bus to Charmonix, France and experienced "La Mer de Glace" as well as the Aguilles du Apres Midi (you can see Mt. Blanc here). The "La Mer de Glace" is an interesting attraction. You take an old train from Chamonix up a winding mountain to Montenvers. From there, you take a cable car down a steep part of the mountain side to another landing spot. You then get off and walk *down* a lot of steps- approximately 400 steps to the glacier. This whole trip from Chamonix to the glacier takes around 45 minutes. At the glacier, you should be prepared to get a little wet and cold. A heavy/warm raincoat would be suggested. What you do is go into a series of tunnels carved into the side of the glacier, and in the tunnels glow in various pretty colors as they are lighted by L.E.D. lights. You see little rooms carved out of the ice, filled with different carved ice objects, like furniture and statues - one of which looked like a lion. Note again, it is cold here, and there are areas where it is dripping from the ceiling because the ice is melting (ie. from the visitors and their carbon-dioxide). Going back up the mountain to Montenvers is another story. Remember the 400 steps? Get ready to undergo endurance training in the thin high-altitude air! Luckily, there were resting stops along the way. By the way, if you want to buy water, drinks or snacks at the couple of places at Montenvers, they only accept Euro, not Swiss Francs. By the way, don't forget to bring your passports and visa (if appropriate) . The French border guards stopped our bus and boarded to inspect everyone's passports. In fact, they took around 12 of the 40 passports and disappeared with them in their office for about 15 minutes. There were a mixture of Japanese, Americans and Canadians in our group.

- take time to enjoy the lakeside walk in Montreux. There are various spots like benches, boulders along the way to sit and breathe in the fresh air. We enjoyed watching the ferry boats and also the fishermen at a couple of the piers. Apparently, the popular fish there is perch from the lake (Lake Geneva). You can dine on perch in a specialty dish at the restaurant at Casino Montreux.



Rome, Italy

If you ever are going to stay at the hotel "Primo Torlonia" / "Prime Hotels Villa Torlonia", it's a 10 minute walk from the subway station Policlinico. After you exit from the station, you will find yourself on the road "Regina ... Margherita". Turn right on this road and walk past an office/commercial complex on your right. Keep walking and you will get to a small gas station located on a circular street. Turn right on the first street after the gas station, and about 50 meters from here, you will get to the hotel. < Website: www.primehotels.it Tel 39-064402630, Va B. Eustachio 3/5/7a - 00161 Roma >

We liked the Torlonia. The staff knew English well, the rooms had air conditioning that worked, and best of all, the complimentary breakfast had a very wide selection of foods: pastries, cereal, fruits, dairies, bacon, scrambled egg, drinks, etc. All of this was in a richly decorated dining room area with carefully prepared table settings.

From the Primo Hotel Torlonia, we found a restaurant that was very reasonably priced and within walking distance. When we got to the hotel, it was already 10pm. This was open until 12 midnight. It was a Chinese restaurant called "Wok" . To walk to Wok (excuse the pun? alliteration? consonation?), we headed back to Regina Margherita road, turned right and walked about a minute. It was an interesting walk, because we passed an embassy (of a county in Middle East) that was heavily guarded by armed soldiers at the front gate. The food at Wok included Chinese, Malaysian and some Japanese food. A Canton fried rice dish, for example, cost around 3.50 Euros. Our meal of 2 fried rice, chicken with bamboo shoots, curry beef and mineral water was under 20 Euros, and we left very full.

Sea Haven Retreat, Lincoln City, Or

Coming soon!
Our journal about our experience in Lincoln City, Oregon, including pictures and videos.
Come back soon, by the end of the first week of September!
Thanks

* * * Meanwhile, enjoy our pictures HERE ... fun!

When We Don't Have Love...

I received this from my good friend, Vietnamese buddy, Hieu "Peter" Do .
He wrote this after doing some meditating. The recent events at Virginia Tech University prompted this.
* * * *
By Peter Hieu Do
hivado38@hotmail.com


When we don't have love, we can kill people like a Cho Seung-Hui in Virginia Tech University, where 32 students and staff members died innocently.

When we don't have love we can blow up buildings to kill thousands of men and women doing their daily business. Example, Twin Tower on 9, 11th.

When we don't have love we force people to leave their houses, to empty the cities and to rush towards wild forests in order to cultivate by their own hands. This operation of Pol Pot has killed almost two million Cambodians.

When we don't have real love we invade countries in the name of our own judgment in stead of other's : the United Nations, the Pope, allied Governments. That happened before, now and maybe in the future if we don't have our own decision to understand and to love our Enemies.

Sometimes we were so vindicateful that God sends us few signs to warn us : an earthquake, a tsunami, a volcanic eruption, a storm, a wild fire... People then understand : they gather together to share their love to each other. But this kind of love was just a social behevior, not an individual and a self controled willingness of real love.

Last tsunami in Indonesia, yesterday massacre in Virginia Tech School that let 33 killed, were occasions for people to show comprehension, helps, courageous acts, candlelight prayers, love-like hugs, ... It's heartbroken to see.

But this happened only when a disaster comes ! It forces people to love each other for just a few days !

After that, they restart to criticize each other, to fight each other, to kill each other, to invade suspected countries, again and again.

To have real love, real forgiveness, real peace, EVERYONE must possess in his own heart the real willingness to try, to do the first step of mutual comprehension, mutual visit, mutual share of foods, of material helps, of spiritual consolations, prayers. Then, the miracle will happen.

So, instead to invade peace life of people, you offer them first your smiles, you open first the conversation with them, you invite them first to come to visit you, to give them first some present they keep as souvenir of your comprehensive and warm attitude.

That the way you can change a Sadam Hussein, a Bin Laden, a Cho Seung-Hui ... in angels before they cause trouble to you !

Now, they all have hit you. Are you going to revenge on other innocent people ? It's very much too late !!! It's the worse thing you are doing.

Now, if you try to love them : they will vomit right on your face ! Why ? Because you didn't listen to what Jesus have said to you :

** "If someone strike you on one side of your face, extend the other so he can strike again".

** "How many times have I to forvive my friends, seven times a day ?" asked Peter. Jesus answered : "No, seventy-seven times seven !"

So, you must be ready to forget the mistakes done by your neighbor and ready to forgive him as many times as he needed.

That's the force of Love.

And there is no greater Love than to die for people we love. Jesus died for our sins, beacause He loved us. And his Death saves us.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
2. EXAMPLES OF INTERACTION BETWEEN PEACE & LOVE

It's difficult to talk about peace to a soldier who receive order to kill, to a woman who is angry with her husband, to a boy whose textbook was destroyed by his comrade few minutes before...

It's also harder to talk about forgiveness in these cases.

Because they don't have any notion, any education about love, the origine and the principle of forgiveness and of peace.

So LOVE is the origine of the following chain reaction : forgiveness, peace.
Without love, no forgiveness.
No forgiveness, no peace.

If Cain loved Abel, he didn't kill him.
If Hitler loved the Jews, there weren't concentration camps.
If Americans and Japanese loved each other there weren't atomique bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
If Sadam Hussein loved his Kurds and his Shiites there weren't bad consequences for him and his family.

We can have a multitude of desastrous cases resulting from the absence of love in the World.

But where is love ?
Where can we find it ?

It is in your heart.
Love must start from you first. You must begin to create the first choc of love on your wife, your children, your neighbors, your enemies... before you can hope to receive any contre-action of your starting love.

* * * *


1.Interaction between Action and Reaction

A hand hitting a wall feels pain from it, more or less according to the force applied.

I moral issues, we face the same way : if you are kind to people, people will return you kindness; if you are rough to them, they will return you angriness and possibly hatred and maybe violence.

How about Love ?

Love is the origine of all good human behavior.

Love gives happiness, forgiveness, sacrifice, heroism and life !

The least thing Love can give is Peace...

The World doesn't have this minimum of Love and Peace !!!

You want to give to people a beautiful democratic life, and you don't have any sense of Love, of Peace, how could you succeed ? If you force the people to live demrocratically like you they will hit you by a contre-force.

This is a fundamental and of course, universal priciple of Action-Reaction .

The force that you exercise on people is called "war". Suppose you have won the war and you have peace, this peace is short, just enough the time for your enemies to prepare for you another war ! And if you have lost the war you create hatred from your countrymen.

Only one alternative you could choose : win your enemies by Love. Starting from you. Starting from your staff, from your contrymen, from your whole country.

When you and your countrymen love each other, people living around will imitate your example and you don't need to go in war : you have won it.

By Peter Hieu Do
hivado38@hotmail.com

YES, YOU NEED GPS for the FAMILY ROADTRIP

We went on a long roadtrip that covered over 5,000 kilometers. Most of it was for business (Tahitian Noni International convention in Las Vegas). We drove from Vancouver, stayed one night in Caldwell, Idaho; then drove to Provo, Utah, where we stayed 2 nights and visited the Tahitian Noni International headquarters. From there, it was on to MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas for a week. After that: Grand Canyon, Disneyland in Anaheim, Universal Studios in Hollywood, and then the Grotto in Portland Oregon.

When we were in Las Vegas 2 years ago, we rented a car. We got lost so many times driving around, and also when driving to/from the Hoover Dam. I remember just being so anxious and overly cautious with the city driving, perhaps to the point of increasing the risk of getting into an accident because of erratic turns and stopping.

But having GPS (built in to our car) was the best thing that could ever happen to us. In Las Vegas and in California, I felt more "free" and comfortable to go exploring. I'd turn OFF GPS when exploring freely the city just to go and discover the types of businesses in the area. And then, when it was time to return to the hotel, it was easy as turning on GPS to guide us back. No more slowing down unexpectedly at an exit just to read the signs. No more getting all worried and anxious when thinking we're going in the wrong direction. It was smooth driving. In Los Angeles, the GPS was quick to recalculate and guide us if we took a wrong exit. This would happen when the GPS was a little slow in telling us what exit to take when there were 2 or 3 or even 4 exits to take in succession at short distances.

With GPS, I was able to take a last-minute detour when I made an unplanned decision to visit my uncle "Caloy" Gonzales near San Francisco. I only knew his address, and I had never driven within the San Francisco area (nor in California state!). It was a great chance for me to talk to him about the Hiro Energy drink I will be marketing in Vancouver and USA (and beyond!).

I hear that GPS is now available for extra cost when renting certain cars. My advice for tourists: GET GPS !

Eric
Business Solutions Specialist

Alexander "BJ" Lim ... A Sad and Happy Vancouver Goodbye

Born : Monday, May 6th 1985, Vancouver, B.C.
Passed Away: Monday, March 19th, 2007, West Vancouver, B.C.

Funeral Mass:
Tuesday March 27th, 2007 at 9:00am, St. Joseph's Parish, 1612 East 18th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C.
Celebrants: Reverend Joseph Dang, Reverend Peter Pham
Reception: Following service: Grand Buffet Chinese Restaurant, Vancouver

Vangie and I attended the viewing / vigil prayers at St. Joseph's Parish on Monday March 26. We had just arrived back in Vancouver from our family spring break trip with the children the night before on Sunday. We were away since March 8. We heard the sad news of BJ's passing away while in Los Angeles. So very sad...

We feel especially for Sister Matilde "Baby" and Bro Arcie, the parents. I know Sis Baby has been in a deep case of distraught for this to happen. Bro Arcie and Sis Baby have been family and church friends for many years, growing even more closer as they were our "household head" in Couples for Christ a couple of years ago. They had 3 sons, AJ, BJ and CJ.

They had viewing at Ocean View Funeral Home over the weekend, and the last one was at St. Joseph's. The church was almost all crowded. Relatives, co-workers, teachers, church friends, school mates, Couples for Christ community, Knights of Columbus brothers, choir partners.... so many people loved BJ and care for his family. We heard euological memories from my mother Cely Carlos who was BJ's teacher in elementary school, as well as from his friends, cousins, brother AJ, and uncle Andre. So moving, so very moving.

The funeral mass tne next morning on Tuesday was equally moving. Not just two priests, but five! A full Knights of Columbus honor guard too. I arrived 5 minutes late, but still there was no more room in the church. I could only stand outside in the cool sun with dozens and listen a few feet from the doors. After the service, standing outside, we were fortunate to be at the front of crowd and see the coffin, pallbearers and family make their way to the cars. You could see the people's tears flow even more as the doors of the car closed on the coffin, and Sis Baby became very emotional then. My heart became so heavy especially fro Sis Baby as she cried out with pain.

The reception was held immediately thereafter. Grand Buffet Restaurant was opened just for this. There were no seats available. The food was good; the poor restaurant hosts were constantly re-filling the buffet food trays, and spoons and forks became scarce as more people partook in this celebration of life.

Indeed, it was a celebration of life. The mood became more lighter, with friends and family mingling and enjoying each other's company. I overheard many people's conversations about meeting each other here at this event after many years. Little reunions and the sharing of fond memories made this a grand celebration.

BJ "Alex" Matthew Lim, thank you for being a part of our life and that of those around you, who care for you and your family so much.

Rest in Peace.

Eric and Vangie Carlos

How to Turn Fantasy to Fact:

How to Turn Fantasy to Fact:

1) Envision the result, with lots of positive feelings
2) Be open to the right medium or vehicle that will get you to this vision (ie. owning your own business).

Watch this video!

The Secret



Contact me and let's chat about business.

Where's My Business Blog?

Ok, I must mention...my other blog that deals with business and free enterprise is here: www.yagottaknowthis2.blogspot.com .
Enjoy!!

Gawad Kalinga, Ancop : Eliminate Poverty !!

Gawad Kalinga (GK) , translated from Tagalog (Filipino) to English means "to give care". We challenge you: watch this video in its entirety to get a sense of how much care is being shared from international corporations, individuals, government officials, country governments to answer the cry of the poor. The United Nations is monitoring its progress as a possible model for empowering the poor and thus eliminating poverty. More at www.gawadkalinga.org/whatisgk.htm . Watch the video here. PS. Don't forget to vote for it for the digg.com front page by clicking on the "digg it" link.

Maple Grove Park - Vancouver Family's Secret Swimming Pool

Maple Grove Swimming Pool, Vancouver

There is a great swimming pool in Vancouver where a family with children can have lots of fun!
It's at Maple Grove park, located on West 51st Ave and Balsam St, Vancouver. It's part of the Vancouver Parks Board. It's a HUGE family swimming pool.
It has a concession stand, changing rooms, outdoor shower, and lots of grassy areas around to sit, picnic and enjoy. There are two to three lifeguards on duty. While we were there, the lifeguards did their job well as a couple of times, they went in the water and asked underaged children where there parents were, since children under 8 years old had to have an adult with them within arm's length. The admission (at Aug 2006 anyway) is very good: $1 for children, $2 for adults, free for children under 5 years old.
Vangie and I sat by the edge of the pool and waded our feet in the cooling water. Emerald, Erin-Marie and Erica had a grand time!
Link to Maple Grove Park in Vancouver is here.

Kitsilano Pool

By the way, did you know that Vancouver boasts Canada's longest pool! It's at Kitslano Pool, located at 2305 Cornwall Avenue. It is the only salt water pool in Vancouver and one of the few in the world!

Duffins Donuts in Vancouver - Scamming Its Customers !!

Re: Duffin's Donuts in Vancouver is a Scam

Hello all,
Below is an email I sent to the local t.v. news station.
This has to do with the fact that by Federal Law (Canada), businesses were to lower GST tax rate they were charging customers from 7% to 6% starting July 1, 2006.

**************

August 30, 2006

Sent to News tips: globalbc.newstips@globaltv.com

Dear Global News,

I am sending you this information as a "news tip" which you might find
newsworthy, especially in the interest for your viewers who are
themselves end consumers.
There's a well-frequented restaurant /fast-food place on East 41st
Avenue and Knight Street, called Duffin's Donuts (they also have
another location at 4898 Main St).
Anyways, 4 times in July, I had been charged 7% GST for their food,
and each time, I mentioned it to them to start charging 6% . I did not
make it a big deal, because I was paying a small amount for the food.
Their reply was always somewhere along the lines that they still had
to have their cash registers serviced.
Today, however, I became annoyed when they calculated the amount
required for my 3 large catering food trays as based on 7% GST. I
said I wanted this time to pay 6% GST, and my order was over $100, so
it did make a difference, (although only $1.20 difference). The
cashier called her boss on the phone, perhaps at their other location,
and the boss spoke to me on the phone. She said that they did change
it to 6%. I told her I had my calculator with me, and they charged 7%.
There was some silence, and then she told me to leave the
establishment and don't come back again.
I was surprised, as I had been going to this place at least 5 times a
month to bring my 3 daughters for after-school snacks as well as for
business meetings, etc.
Today, I was there to buy 3 large party trays of food for my
daughter's 14th birthday party.
And they caused a lot of inconvenience to say the least as I have to
find another source of food for the party....
...
###
And that's my take on Duffins Donuts!
Eric

The Honey Fountain Group in Nigeria - A Noni Success Story

I must mention about my friends , the Honey Fountain Group in Nigeria. The beginnings of our friendship were solidified as we met in person in 2003 near Salt Lake City, Utah, at the world headquarters of our noni juice business partners. Present were Dr. Ayo Olofin, Attorney Adegoke Oshunniyi, Dr. Yomi Okanlawon, Dr. Olu Omotoyinbo, Emmanuel Thompson, Israel, and Nath Coleman. It was a glorious few days of laughter and comradery. We met as strangers and parted as brothers, Nigerian brothers.

(Pictures of our Salt Lake City / Provo, Utah, USA trip here>)

Then, again, we were privileged to meet them at our business' 2004 Las Vegas International Convention. We all stayed at the luxurious Venetian Hotel, paid for by noni juice network marketing business partners. It was again full of high-spirited friendship and smiles. (If you ever run into them, you can ask them about their actual accomodations with Eric Carlos...there's a funny and interesting side to that story). Here, we also were introduced to more Honey Fountain Group leaders - Attorney Oscar Albert and the ever wise Emecheta Ofondu.

(Pictures of Las Vegas here.)

The Honey Fountain Group is making a powerful name for themselves in the noni arena in Nigeria. They hold Super Saturday trainings and also utilize the "Honey Party" system. They train leaders to be trainers of leaders. They are big with personal self development. Their goal is create an uprise in a strong and empowered Nigerian middle class using Tahitian Noni business opportunity as a vehicle.
Their phone numbers:
17902195
17769702
08023134057

Visit their blogs here:

http://www.honeyfountainblog.com/
or

www.earndollarsinnigeria.com

or
nethombiz.blogspot.com
or
tinyurl.com/zgrex

If you are a Nigerian, and you are serious about generating some serious dollars and royalty income for yourself and your family, for generations to come , then by all means, contact them now.

A Great Man, Businessman and Personal Friend in Nigeria

I think this is long overdue: my public sharing of my personal admiration of a great man, businessman and personal friend in Nigeria. His name is Emmanuel Nwachukwu. He is a great leader in the noni juice business opportunity in Nigeria. He and I connected in 2001, and I am proud to be his personal sponsor into our global noni juice business. He worked long and hard days, months and years to build the business in Nigeria, which now has grown into the several thousands of distributors in his organization.
Emmanuel Nwachukwu was the first "Diamond Pearl" in Nigeria. In fact, the first Diamond Pearl ELITE in Nigeria. Most likely, he will be the first Black Pearl distributor in Nigeria ! A great leader indeed. Emmanuel Nwachukwu saw the vision and then ran non-stop with massive zeal to share this business and noni juice product with people all over Nigeria.
Dr. Emmanuel Nwachukwu, my friend, you are truly to be congratulated, and your accomplishments to be celebrated.



******************

Earning Money in Nigeria

If you are a Nigerian and serious about generating an additional stream of income in Nigeria (eg. earning dollars in Nigeria ), and if you want a “Diamond Pearl Elite”- ranked distributor to show you how to do this with this TNI company in Nigeria, then you would be wise to contact Dr. Emmanuel Nwachukwu. His phone number is 08023058232 or 01-7926423 .
* * * *
* * * * * *
Comment from Google Blogger "Aderaskeey" :

Eric,

thanks for your visit to my "Tahitian Noni Blues". I also welcome you to the swelling Noni bloggers world. It is a joy to see leaders of your stature and status believe in noni blogging as aditional avenue of Chapter 2 to ACCESS the hitherto unreached audience.

Emmanuel Nwachukwu is a leader of leaders,and your discovery of him in 2001 has brought a great goodness to NIGERIA. We Love You!

la'Orana

Leanne Frewin in Gibsons; Cops for Cancer

On Saturday, August 19, 2006, in Gibsons, B.C., Leanne Frewin raised $1,285.61
in 4 days for Cops for Cancer. She had her hair on her head shaved off as her show of support for Cops for Cancer. Way to go, Leanne!

Check out the pictures.



Leanne Frewin was known at Elphinstone Secondary school in Gibsons as Leanne "Middleton". She and I graduated together in 1986. Now, she has 3 children: 2 twins (boys) and a girl.

We recently met at our 20th high school reunion. 

My Little Brother's BIG Announcement

It happened on a Sunday, August 20, 2006 during a warm sunloving day under a gazebo sitting in a quaint park called Gray's Park Vancouver. Here's what happened: (Click here and make sure your sound is on).

RJ, my younger brother, 14 years younger, announced his engagement to long-time girlfriend Kirsten Estanislao. They met as schoolmates at St. Patrick's Regional High School, Vancouver.

We knew this day would be coming. It was actually a surprise birthday party for Kristen's 24th birthday, and it turned out to be a surprise for most of the guests with their engagement announcement!

Congratulations to Rotiquio Samuel Junior and to Kirsten Estanislao!

More pictures , Set 1

More pictures, Set 2

Own Your Own Life With A Business Or Let Your Job Own You For Life

So many people these days are complaining about this and about that - and the topic they complain most about not having enough time or the money to enjoy doing the things they like or are passionate about in life. Some others know they are missing something in life, and they are not fully aware yet of what it is. I'm suggesting that they are not even conscious of the slavery that their job has imposed upon them.

It sounds rather blunt that I put it this way; however, I have been there myself. I was a banker for almost 10 years in Vancouver. I was in corporate banking, getting to know fully the intimate financial positions of some top money earners in the real estate development arena in Western Canada. I worked downtown Vancouver, day in and day out, amidst "the suits" - the business men and business women dressed in their business attire, carrying around their briefcases or leather portfolios and pads. When I first worked downtown here, I was rather naive in thinking, "wow, they're so dressed in their expensive suits, and oh, how they hold their posture ...they must be earning the big bucks...".

Corporate zombies. Now, in hindsight, and when I do travel that part of Vancouver, I can and have classified 50% of these suits. I know that they probably are either stuck in the office, or they bring home their work with them. So much so that they have a hard time looking for the time to spend with their family and loved ones. I know that they are feeling - so comfortable and so secure (falsely secure) in their high -or low-- paying jobs that they feel that there is nothing they can do about it. Some, I know are feeling that they are not being paid what they are worth...putting in the overtime hours after work or even during the weekends, just as I did before, but not claiming overtime because of their intense loyalty to their job. I call this zombie brown-nosing. I know that a lot of them have been in the situation where they have called in sick and felt guilty about it, even though they were really sick. Some called in sick, feeling guilty because they were not sick but had to call in sick so they can bring their kid to the doctor themselves. Some don't even know that they don't know how much their "job" has taken over their life. I know of one fellow ex-coworker who once remarked he didn't know where all the years had gone, missing his children's growing-up activities, because he was so engrossed in the corporate work world.

Nowadays, when I do travel in that part of the world in Vancouver, I see the lifeless faces. And I somewhat do feel sorry for them because I was once there. I see their perception of world they have been conditioned to accept it as it is, because that is what a good boy or girl must do...get a good education, get a degree or diploma, find a good company to stay with that pays you well with good benefits.

So who's kidding who? The suits here in the corporate world will in all likelihood never even come close to earning enough to own their dream house that they thought they could own if they finished college or university. Why won't they realize their dream lifestyle? Because chances are they will not be able to trade enough time for the amount of dollars that would be required to finally have that dream lifestyle. That's the simple truth. This is backed up the true statistics that 95% of people at the age of 65 will be either dead or dead broke. And only 5% will be wealthy.

So what about the 5%? Do you think these are the workers who have worked the 30 to 40 years for that somebody else? Oh, on the contrary!! These are the people who leveraged their time so that they found enough time to trade for the required dollars they'd need for their dream lifestyle!! In fact, these 5% may have been the employer. These 5% may have owned a business so people could work for them, and/or found a way to make their money for for them.

Now, did you know there's an "occupation" that has made more millionaires than any other occupation? It's network marketing, or in the old colloquial term, "multi-level marketing." In fact, there is a certain company at this date that has created more millionaires than any other company in the network marketing industry. Over 300 of them in just 10 years. There is a company that, at it's 7 year-mark, was the 4th fastest growing company in all of business history, just after Google, Fedex and Intel. You can find out later which one, or contact me.

If you want to know more about network marketing, you can click on this link to read an article by Bill Dunigan, another professional network marketer who happens to be in my network marketing organization.

Pin Pin Restaurant in Vancouver (Filipino Chinese Food)

We stopped by to dine at a Pinoy / Filipino Pin-Pin Restaurant located in Vancouver August 19, 2006 . Vangie's co-workers had been raving about the food there, especially the super-sized halo-halo.

This evening we had daing, sisig, sinigang and bicol express. The sisig was to die for, ie. deliciously crunchy and tasy. The Bicol Express was spicy yet bearable and also tasty. Erin-Marie loved it. I think she inherited my love of hot spicy foods. Our sinigang was too lemony, as Vangie remarked.

The waitress was somewhat friendly. Overall, the ambience was comfortable, almost home-like cozy. It's a small restaurant, but apparently it's popular. There were at least 15 people waiting outside when we came in at about 6:45pm, and there were around 8 people waiting when we left 1 hour later.

Here's another link that has pictures and more information: http://fireflyzephyr.livejournal.com/33208.html

Yummy!
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Pin Pin Restaurant
Fraser St. x E.45th Ave.
Vancouver, BC
604.322.3086

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About Eric:
Full time professional network marketer, business solutions specialist

The Tigh-Na-Mara Trek, August 2006. Parksville, B.C.

[ Full album of pictures ]

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August 13/06

What a day.
Big suggestion for anyone taking the B.C. Ferries to Vancouver Island: RESERVE! That's right, you can reserve your vehicle spot in advance to ensure boarding at your preferred time. The $15 is worth the 2+ hour waits, air-conditioned or not, it's still a long wait in the car line up for the ferry.

Where were we going? To Tigh-Na-Mara Resort in Parksville, located by the east oceanside on mid-Vancouver Island, British Columbia. But our day started with some frustration before we even got out of Vancouver. Our battery decided to short-circuit and die in front of the bank a few minutes drive from the house. So I got a boost from Dad who lived a few blocks away. Then straight to Canadian Tire to buy a new battery and have it installed - penalized more by the 1-hour required wait for good ol' Canadian Tire's mechanic to do their thing. So during that hour, which was already getting to lunchtime, we went to nearby Kingdom Restaurant on Kingsway and Gladstone St.

Let me tell you about this gem of a restaurant. And I know it when I eat at a classy Chinese restaurant. I've indulged my choppers at all types of Chinese restaurants in Vancouver as well as in the USA (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle). And you know what, the dim sum at this Kingdom Restaurant was suuuuper!

Firstly, the place looked very clean and new. The waiters and waitresses were well dressed in pressed white shirts. They were very attentive to the our needs - refreshing out pot of tea, replacing our used plates, spoons and even chopsticks with new ones, always checking back on us if we were wanting more types of dim sum food. They even took the time to "chase" me down after I had just about walked out after eating when I left my sunglasses at the table. And you know what, the price was great for value! Imagine $2.50 per dim sum serving!

Anyway, we got to Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal in West Vancouver at about 1:45 pm, but the line up was very very long. We missed 2 ferries and finally go on board at 5:15 pm. Luckily we headed off to Horseshoe Bay Village for about an hour and a half during the wait for some ice-cream from Baskin Robbins and also a nice cool refreshing Matcha Chillo from Blenz. (It's green tea blended with some ice cream and ice).

During our wait prior to that, we had watched a DVD movie on my laptop in the van. I'll need to get myself a 100 Watt (minimum) inverter to power my laptop from the cigarette lighter socket. The one I had bought at Canadian Tire earlier in the day was only for 75 Watts. I found out only later that my laptop needs 90 Watt power. But it turns out that this 75 Watt inverter was good for plugging our cell phone charger into, and for $21 it was a good price, compared to the cellular phone-specific car charger that would be minimum $30.

Anyway, we got to the Nanaimo Ferry Terminal (Departure Bay) at around just past 7:00pm. We drove to Tigh-Na-Mara Resort around 30 minutes away, and here I am typing this at 10:30pm in our Studio Suite ("Jedidiah Suite"), a few minutes walk from the beach. We had a great home-cooked dinner whipped up by master chef (and wife) Vangie here with their kitchenette. It comes with stove-top, toaster, microwave, sink, fridge with mini-freezer, coffeepot and utensils, plates, etc. And also, okay, there's free wireless internet connection in the lounge...a sure plus for me. So what am I not too happy about right now? THERE IS NO AIR CONDITIONING IN ANY OF THE SUITES OR CONDOS AT TIGH-NA-MARA RESORT !! It has been a terribly hot summer, and yes, it has started to cool down to ~~25 degrees celsius during the day, but it's still warm by my standards , even by nightfall. Imagine a world-class resort that was featured on Kathy and Regis' show that does not have air-conditioning.... This is going to be my first night, but perhaps the previous events have marred my generally good nature. So we'll see about the rest of our stay here.

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August 15/06

FRUSTRATION!!!

That’s what I feel right now!!

I’ve just lost all the 2 pages of writing for yesterday’s blog of activities and my summary of “likes and dislikes” for the day. I don’t know… I swear I saved the file and replaced the old file. I’ve searched using the Windows file search command, for anything with “tigh-na-mara” in the body of the file. But nothing.

It was late yesterday that I finished writing. Maybe I was so tired that I somehow selected my new entry and deleted it before saving??? I also have another theory that maybe I wrote too much for Windows’ Notepad program to handle? I just don’t know.

But the quick summary for August 14 of our Tigh-Na-Mara vacation:
Early morning went to play and splash around with the kids in the pool. SO VERY COLD! The indoor pool water temperature is not right: unusually cold! We went to the beach at Tigh-Na-Mara. Low tide. Dug up 3 bucketfuls of clams. I also got 4 sand dollars, one of each of the children and the one on its way. Cody of Concierge here at the resort told me about red tide for the butter clams, but not manila clams. Tried the best we could to separate the two and eat only the manila clams. Decided later on it was too risky, so cooked a small batch and three the rest away. Played a little tennis at the one tennis court they have here. Did some grocery shopping at Thrifty Foods in Parksville. Bought ourselves a fleece pullover and a heavy windbreaker (jacket) in anticipation of the whale watching and tour with Jamie’s Whale Watching in Ucluelet. (He has has one branch in Tofino.)

Dislikes for August 14/06:
- there is no bathtub mat. The tub can be dangerously slippery when showering...
- long waiting for front desk to pick up their phone. I tried 3 times at different times during the day, but no one picked up, even after 20 rings
- cold pool water. I’ve spent time at other less-expensive resorts (and also at equivalent class-resorts), and their pool water temperature at Tigh-Na-Mara is much much cooler/almost colder.
- No posted speed limit. There are cabins and suites scattered throughout the resort, with narrow automobile “paths” throughout. Many children are riding their bikes on these same routes, and many are running around on these same routes, between cabins, the playgrounds, tennis court and beach. I saw at least 3 vehicles going at speeds that would have proved challenging to stop at if a child were to pop out in front of them say, 4 meters away. Heck, I saw a couple of the resort’s golf-carts being driven by their employees zipping around at a noticibly “fast” pace. At Beachwood Resort, which has a similar set up, they have a extremely strict rule to drive at 7 mph (or just under 10 km/hr). Why not the same at Tigh-Na-Mara?
- No bathrobes to be found in the suite.

Likes for August 14/06,
- Cody the Concierge Captain’s service. He took the time to run from the main office reception area to our suite at Jedediah Suite to give us a fishing/shellfish brochure to help us distinguish between bears.
- Housekeeping service did a wonderful job tidying up our suite.


August 15/06
We got up early at 4:30 in the morning for the 2 ½ hr drive to Ucluelet – for whale watching !!!
Jamie’s Whale Watching Adventures had a special on in Ucluelet, where for each paying adult, a child would be free, and any extra children would be ½ price. Their Tofino office didn’t have this special, so we opted for their Ucluelet location and then later on driving to Tofino to see the world famous big waves and sandy beaches.

The drive across Vancouver Island from the east coast to the west coast Ucluelet was an interesting one of sorts. The weather in Parskville at 5:30am was appearing to be clear. The sunrise looked promising. Then driving on the way to Port Alberni, the sun started to hide behind the clouds. We filled up at the Shell gas station in Parksville, and we were off on Highway 4 for the 85 km stretch to the Tofino / Ucluelet junction. Here’s where our ride took a turn for the slight worse. And I mean the pun. I didn’t expect the “Highway” to be full of twists and turns and hills and valleys. At times, the recommended speed limit was 40 km/hr, but I had to slow down to 30 km/hr with the family load behind me. Then the weather got eerie, as there were low thick clouds and fog settling down just above us. It was like a scene out of “Twin Peaks”, all we needed was the popular t.v. series’ theme song. We saw hardly other drivers, save for a few logging trucks that uncomfortably tailgated us until we pulled over to let them pass. Then my heart dropped an inch lower when a warning light came on 30 km into the drive. It was a yellow graphic icon on the dashboard, looking like an engine. I drove 30 more minutes to see if it would disappear. Thoughts raced through my head, as I was deciding whether to continue or drive back. Then I asked Vangie if we had any cellular signal. Nope, none. Maybe she has a sixth sense, or simply she just knows me so well… she looked over at me and then at the dashboard, and she asked what that yellow light was for. I didn’t want to worry Vangie and kids, so I casually asked Vangie to pull out the owner’s manual. I found a clearing on the road shoulder and looked it up. Vangie I think knew too not to panic everyone, so to her credit she stayed calm. She looked up the two pages that had the “Warning Lights” display and their meanings. There was no matching icon, and so I became more curious than concerned. Perhaps it was the wrong owner’s manual. Nope. Right one. Maybe the differences in U.S. or Canadian models. Nope, it explained both. So I looked at every page quickly scanning for the same dashboard picture of concern. Found it. I had to do with the engine emission… something about fuel not burning properly…perhaps loose gas cap, or different type of fuel. Ok, nothing about dangerous low oil level or the engine about to die. It did talk about getting service as soon as possible if the steady yellow light started to flash. Ok, I was a little more relieved to know that our situation was not that serious. Vangie and I told the kids that we would say a short prayer, and we did, for continued safe guidance throughout our trip.

Fast forward to reaching Ucluelet some 1 ½ hours later, albeit a heightened 1 ½ hours of careful, watchful and slower-than-usual driving. We let people pass us on the highway to let them go their merry usual way. We got to Ucluelet at around 8:30. It was just a bit chilly, and my toes were feeling slightly cold (more due to the weather than the driving, I think). I was wearing my open sandals without socks. We drove around looking for a store that would carry some socks. The Ucluelet Co-op store was closed still. We saw a store in a retail strip called “ Camper Jacks “ . It was a smaller store, with signs saying “auto parts” and outdoor supplies. It would prove to be a good pick, as they sold wooly socks. The older man at the cashier was very friendly, striking up a conversation about Ucluelet and the local happenings, such as the new Jack Nicklaus golf resort and the 1 million dollar plus homes being built, with their absentee owners. He let Vangie use the washroom (clean) as she was needing to go desperately after that long drive. I also ended up buying a 175 watt – continuous – inverter; I figured I needed it anyway for the laptop, and I wanted to give him more business for his hospitality. Very friendly man at Camper Jacks there.

About the whale watching… on the way out to the open ocean, first, we had a little verbal tour of some rocky islands where we saw two whales in all, humpbacks. We went out to the ocean about 30 minutes, and we reached an area by some small rocky islands. We saw the blow of spray from the whale’s blowhole, and we the kids gleed along with the rest of us as we saw the whale do its swoop and show its tail. This went out for about 40 minutes, with the whale surfacing 10 or so times. We also had a chance to see some sea lions at a place called “The Hollow”. They were all males, basking on the rocks. Big fellows they are. Really big.

Jamie’s Whale Watching here at Ucluelet had somewhat an older boat, reaching 10 knots speed. The ocean at first was calm, but when we went to see the sea lions, it got very choppy, with maybe 1 to 2 meter swells. Erica got seasick. She used the special “bag” that Jamie’s had provided. Her looking at the horizon made it better; it didn’t help if she wanted to put her head down. I was a bit amused as I remarked to myself about how she loved to go on the more daring adult twisting and dizzying round-and-round rides at the PNE, but she only got sick on a boat. And maybe filling herself up earlier with the salted chips didn’t help either. All in all, the 4-hour whale watching and sea lion tour experience was a good one. I can finally say that I went whale watching, after having lived in British Columbia for over 30 years. Mind you, I did see killer whales in a group in the sea while living in Ocean Falls.

Next, out to Tofino to see the big waves!! Not a bad drive. The weather had cleared up a lot compared to what it was earlier in the morning. A relaxing road cruise with the only dislike being the road construction that made us wait for 15 minutes. I saw the “Long Beach” exit way before (10 km?) reaching the town proper of Tofino, but we were hungry, so continued on to stop in the actual retail district. We ate at a restaurant called “The Schooner.” It’s set up to be a cross between fine dining and casual dining; to give you an example of pricing: a burger cost $13, or was it $15 ? I had the beef with scallops in asian sauce and basmati rice. It was okay…a little too much sauce for me though. Our waitress was kind enough to provide us with a map of Tofino and its beaches. She suggested going to Chesterman’s Beach instead of Long Beach. It was the closest beach with the biggest waves. Nevertheless, we got filled up with food at The Schooner Restaurant in Tofino.

We found Chesterman’s Beach but almost missed it because it was only an ordinary sized street sign that said Chesterman Beach road instead of the large “attraction” sign that one would expect. The parking lot is about a 50 yards from the turn off (we almost drove past it thinking that the parking lot for the beach was further down). It was a breathtaking sight to see, and also a audio spectacle. The ever constant waves slapping the sandy beach, whitecaps, a blue open ocean with no land in the distance to see, dozens of surfers bobbing up and down or sliding down crests.

The girls had fun building sand hills close the water and being “caught off guard” by the incoming remnants of the big waves. It was fun to see them running away and screaming with laughter as the water chased them. The sights and sounds of the water and sand reminded me very much of Santa Monica beach when we were there in March 2006. The only difference was the air temperature of course. The water here at Chesterman’s beach was warm, to my bit of surprise. We stayed here for about 45 minutes, taking plenty of pictures.

Then on the way back to the Ucluelet / Tofino junction, we did stop at Long Beach for about 15 minutes. The waves were just as big. There were plenty of washed up logs, and it was a longer stretch of sandy beach here than Chesterman’s Beach. Also, the parking at Long Beach was pay parking. It was free to park at Chesterman’s. I have a feeling our waitress at the Schooner Pub had let us in on a locals’ secret about Chesterman’s beach, now knowing about the small street sign that announced its presence just before.

So, off to the junction and then on to Port Alberni. The emissions warning light was still on, but I was more comfortable about it. The skies were clear. The sun was behind us as we headed from the west coast of Vancouver Island to the east coast. No more “eerie” feeling driving under a heavy cover of cloud and morning mist. It was bright, and the scenery was vibrant green all around. I felt more safe and confident with the road, now knowing what to expect with regards to the twists and turns. We had a break in Port Alberni at McDonalds with ice cream for everyone. I treated myself to some java.

We felt relief as we got into Parksville. Even Erica said out loud a sincere one-sentence thank-you prayer to God for our safe arrival. Before turning off from the Port Alberni Highway 4 onto the number 19 Island Highway, we stopped for a short while to see what this Parksville Community Festival was about, situated at the Coastal Credit Union. There were little shopping booths with merchants showing off their wares, mostly hand-made. There was some dancing presentations and of course food: candied apples, hot dogs, ice cream.

What we liked today, August 15, 2006 :
- Camper Jack’s in Ucluelet’s friendliness and helpfulness
- Getting to see real whales in their real native environment
- Tofino’s big waves and sandy beaches, ie Chesterman’s Beach and Long Beach
- Nice cozy community feeling of Parksville and Ucluelet

What we were not impressed with today:
- the lack of cautionary literature describing the type of narrow twisty road / “highway” #4 that exist between Port Alberni and Ucluelet / Tofino Junction. If I would have known, I would have given myself more driving leeway time.
- the tailgating logging truck drivers, especially with these types of roads. It can really make the average driver extremely nervous and prone to a nasty situation. And for those drivers of trucks without the heavy loads, what do you have to prove? Are you being revengeful for those times when you yourself were tailgated when you had a heavy load?
- Lack of warning by Jamie’s Whaling staff about the rough choppy ride to come. They at least could have given us tips on how to avoid sea-sickness, ie. constant watch on the horizon, versus feeling tired and closing your eyes and putting your head down.
- The possibility that the gas at Shell gas station on Highway 4 in Port Alberni was the culprit in causing my emissions light warning in my van to light up. I’ll be writing a letter to head office about this. It can’t be a coincidence.

# # #

August 16, 2006 – Wednesday

We went to the Parksville Sandcastle Competition display at the Community Beach in Parksville. All of the sculptures were amazing. These were not just ordinary sandcastles. All sorts were crafted: King Kong, plumbers, dragons, “cougars”, the “fat lady”, fairy tale themes, and more. Outstanding!! I also liked reading the biographies of the sculptors; one was a dentist! The Parksville community beach was a nice sight: dark blue crispy ocean with whitecaps, and sandy too. They also have a huge children’s playground and water park, along with tennis courts and picnic areas. We also enjoyed watching the stunt bicycles and bmxers do their tricks at a bike bowl area there. Free parking too where we parked. We saw a neat tractor / contraption on wheels: called a “goose goo goner”. It picks up geese poop from the grass!! There were dozens of Canada geese walking around the grass.

After that we headed back and ate lunch at Tigh-Na-Mara. The kids went swimming. I found a tennis partner to play with. The children then participated with drop-in-activities club organized by the resort staff. They also went swimming – in the cold water at the swimming pool, still! I had to go back to the resort’s front desk and complain about this. The Concierge Captain (not Cody) said she had heard from a woman guest about this earlier. While I was in front of her, she spoke to maintenance guy over the phone. She said they will check into it today, and temperature should be about 80 to 84 degrees Farenheit. I told her I know the pool water was much much cooler than that, from my reference point that 72 degrees is room temperature. I told her that I had told administration /front desk staff about this two days ago, and still nothing was done about the temperature. She apologized (at least). Let’s see if they can finally do something about this.

They ( Tigh-Na-Mara ) had family movie night at 9 pm . It was outdoors with a big screen in front of the small grassy hill that led down to the gazebo on their waterfront embankment. It was an amazing set up , with the sun going down and its colours behind the gazebo overlooking the sea. We had to take a picture of this, but we only had our cellphone camera. Really cool set up they had here. We watched RV starring Robin Williams. Slow start, but it got funny. After the movie, we stayed a short while ourselves and we watched to stars on the clear night. I saw 2 shooting stars. Erin-Marie saw one, and Emerald caught one with her eyes. Amazing.

What we liked today, August 16, 2006:
- the sculptures at the Parksville Sandcastle Competition.
- the many things to play on at children’s playground and waterpark at the Parksville Community Beach
- the family movie night setup, outside at the gazebo overlooking high above the sea, especially with the sun setting.
- the housekeeping staff’s focus on cleanliness in our room.
- Erin-Marie's and Erica's fun time during drop-in-activities scheduled for the younger children of the resort. (There was face-painting, crafts, social games...). They said that Jessie and Kat (recreation staff) were very nice.

What our complaint is about today:
- the fact that Tigh-Na-Mara staff did not do anything about the cold pool water temperature for 2 days. I also didn’t like their problem in communicating this to the right people. Apparently, she said it was the first they’ve heard about this today. (Note to myself…next time, I’ll ask for their names and write it down ; I should have done this for the staff I talked to 2 days ago)
- I had to call the Grotto Spa several times to confirm our appointment for facials and spa, because the previous phone calls were not answered. Maybe they were too busy, but still, I didn’t even get to voicemail. It looks like this lack of attention to guest’s phone calls is a problem for all Tigh-Na-Mara people at the front desk (Resort Check In and The Grotto & Spa Check In)

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August 17, 2006

Time to go home. That is , after treating ourselves to the world famous "Grotto Spa" of Tigh-Na-Mara ! I went down at 10:30 am for an hour in their mineral bath. It contains minerals from a natural spring in Hungary. I saw a sign in their changeroom saying something that the health ministry in Hungary has claimed this particular spring as having medicinal properties. Anyway, Tigh-Na-Mara's Grotto Spa was, for lack of better words, "heavenly." There was nice relaxing background instrumental music playing, the sounds of the mineral water falls , the decor with the "cave" theme, the non-chlorine-smell pool with hide-away-corners and ledges to sit at... just absolutely wonderful. I was advised to try a hot-and-cold regime of 20 minutes in the mineral bath, then into their cold shower waterfall, and then into their jacuzzi. I did about 3 cycles of this, lasting about an hour. Brilliantly and robustly invigorating ! I know that there must have been some major detoxifying going on because I had to empty my bladder 4 times during that hour and 20 minutes ( and later detoxified also via that cleansing "movement" thrice within the same day). At that time in the morning, there were only maybe 4 other people in that mineral bath. By the way, the water bath area is spacious - I read that it's about 2,500 square feet in area! I also read that the spa is the largest of its kind in British Columbia, and one of the larges in Canada. Vangie had her treat at the Grotto Spa also with a facial full of herbals, as well as an arm and lower leg/foot massage. She commented on the ultra-relaxing ambience in the room: candles, warm towels, music...

Going back to Vancouver seemed much much easier than going to Parksville. We waited only 1 hour in the ferry line up. The traffic across Ironworks Memorial Bridge (aka Second Narrows Bridge) was light.

The Tigh-Na-Mara Trek has ended with some lasting memories.

Liked for August 17, 2006:
- Tigh-Na-Mara's Grotto Spa - the mineral bath, facials, all within a place just oozing with the focus to put you in total refreshing relaxation
- The Grotto had complimentary shaving stick, shaving cream, cotton swabs, comb, and antipirsperant for me to use .
- the pool heater was finally fixed, although it took 3 days of constant reminders (perhaps 5 reminders in all to 5 different staff)

Disliked:
- long line up to check-out. approx 15 minutes wait.
- hard to find a parking space at the Grotto Spa . There are only maybe 10 to 15 available? Tigh-Na-Mara management ought to either create more parking space, or have available to guests their multitude of golf carts (of which half are not used at one time by the staff, ie. housekeeping )
- I've only found out now, as I type this entry in Vancouver, that there is bike rentals available at Tigh-Na-Mara . I found out by reading the small print on their website. I wasn't made aware of this by other means nor media (ie. literature, large signs or postings) during our stay there.

&&
Okay, just to let you know, if you remember I wrote about my suspiscion about the quality of gast from the Shell gas station in Port Alberni being the culprit of my emissions warning light coming on in my 2001 Chevrolet Venture vehicle... Well, in Nanaimo, I put 2/3 tank of supreme gas in. Later, after arriving in Vancouver and driving around for about an hour, the emmissions light went off. So I think by this I can confidently say that the Shell gas station in Port Alberni has got dirty gas!

[ Full album pictures here ]


*
Thanks to God for providing for us a safe trip where we got to enjoy each other. Thanks to God for giving us the blessings of abundance to fund our Tigh-Na-Mara / Ucluelet / Tofino vacation by way of the full time income stream from my Tahitian Noni International distribution business.

Beachwood Resort, Birch Bay, ( Blaine) Washington

We spent a few days in August 2006 at a nice resort , Beachwood Resort , located at Birch Bay, Washington State. It's just a few miles from the Canada / USA border ; a few minutes drive from Blaine City Centre, off Exit 270.
We shared a trailer unit with Charlotte, her kids Lorenzo and Cortez, and Lory. It slept 8 people...cozy enough to make it truly a get-to-know-each-other social time.

R.J. and Kristen visited over for a while too, and we enjoyed their company.





The kids really had fun swimming, playing soccer and tennis, and most of all, roasting marshmallows and hotdogs over the campfire. "Smores" was the theme word during those fireside nights. And yes, we also popped Jiffy popcorn over an open fire!


We found time to spend at the beach at Birch Bay National park, only a few minutes drive away. The children collected hermit crabs, shells and even found a sand dollar !

The weather was warm and sunny for the first 2 or 3 days, but then it rained for the rest of the time we were there. No matter, even before cabin fever set in, the kids played with their sucker dart guns and shot them at targets like toy soldiers (which R.J. brought) and a hand-drawn target circle taped to the deck window.

Lory and I (Eric) played tennis with old-timers Harry and Victor at the resort's tennis court; even though they were at least 30 years "more experienced" than us, they really gave us a run for our money!



It was a real treat for me personally when I bumped into Brett Barrett at Beachwood Resort ! Brett Barrett is from Tahitian Noni International management, with the title "Corporate Ambassador". This was truly a rare event, getting to talk to TNI management during their off-work or vacation time! He sure is a super super nice guy. Vangie and I got to have pictures with Brett. Wow, really, what a treat for us.

Go here to view all our Beachwood Resort photos.

Stay tuned for our Tigh-Na-Mara Resort stories. What a way for us to cap off August 2006 summer vacation!

Semiahmoo Resort August 2005

While staying at Beachwood Resort, (Birch Bay, Washington) just this last week, I was reminded to write about our experience last year at Semiahmoo Resort just a few minutes drive away.
While overall we had a great time enjoying the waterfront setting and its aural songs throughout the day from the lapping waves, I did have one negative chip on my shoulder, so to say. This is a family-friendly resort, and our experience as a family at the swimming pool area was not at all friendly for us. It was about 8pm when we all went to enjoy the hottub and swimming pool. It didn't start off well when there was already some young folks with their beer bottles (yes glass bottles) at the hot tub. I went and told the spa attendant about this, and she showed some reluctance to anything about it at first. Judging by the fact that she looked young herself, she may have not had the experience in being assertive and executing disciplinary measures. But she did admit that there is to be no drinking allowed, especially with glass items around the pool and hot tub area. So I went back feeling satisfied that she would be coming around soon to speak to the young couples at the hot tub. But she did not appear. After about 20 minutes I decided that we should leave, despite our kids' protests.

I had changed quickly and waited just outside the women's changerooms for the kids and Mom to rinse off and do their hair, etc. But then , what I observed next was the "last straw." One of the young girls who was drinking earlier went to the changeroom , perhaps to change also or to just to do her business. Then a few seconds later, her boyfriend also followed and walked into the change room. I immediately went to tell the attendant and adamantly ordered her to call security. Finally, something was done, and two security guards immediately showed up less than 30 seconds later, and they had the young man and his girlfriend fetched. I felt satisfaction when they told him and his girlfriend that that was their last night there.

Meanwhile, my wife and daughters came out, oblivious to what had just happened.

As long as they were safe...

Before leaving Semiahmoo Resort and heading back to Vancouver, I described this incident on their feedback cards. I expected a call back from management, but no one called back within the next 2 weeks. I called and left a message with one of the management staff (I can't remember the name), and to their credit, they called back and left a message since I was not home at the time.

I left it at that , and to this day, I still receive general broadcast emails from them about their Semiahmoo specials. However, it may be some time before we go back.

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P.S. This trip was wholly financed indirectly by my full-time business income with Tahitian Noni International. Even while on the trip, I had done some prospecting for potential business partners...but I did not find that right business-minded, entpreneurial person to fill in the open leadership position in my organization.

Taking the Sandy Line Train in Salt Lake City, Utah

My friend and business partner Rey David had the opportunity to spend a few days in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the expense of Tahitian Noni International (airfare, lodging and food all paid for!!). This was in June (2006). The weather was quite warm already, in fact, almost unbearable for us two Canadians from Vancouver, British Columbia. It was a business trip, but we did have some ample time to explore downtown Salt Lake City in between sessions.

One thing I liked was that the public transportation from our hotel at Grand America was free! We were cautioned that we had to make sure it was the "Sandy Line" train that we hopped on to enjoy the free trip. There was also another train called "University". Another thing we liked was that these trains were air conditioned. Imagine that - air conditioned public transportation! In Vancouver, there's no such thing, not even close.

The trip to downtown Salt Lake City is only a short ride, about 20 minutes. One thing that pleasantly surprised us was all the banner signs on the lamp posts downtown carried the banner of our company, along with the name of the training "Pearl Camp" business activity. On the way back, we were rushing to the train stop because we had to get back to the Grand America Hotel in 25 minutes to catch our corporate bus trip to TNI World Headquarters in Provo. In our haste, we didn't bother to see which train we boarded. It turned out to be "University". So lo and behold, as we were approaching the Grand America Hotel stop, the train instead veered to the left and kept on going for another 5 minutes.

We jumped off at the next stopped and made a dash to the Grand America Hotel some 4 blocks away. Great exercise. I felt so bad for Rey as he was definitely huffing and puffing away since he was more in senior years than me. Perhaps it was the Tahitian Noni juice that gave him that added kick to his stride!

Nevertheless, we got to our hotel room and freshened up a bit, trying to mask the sweaty feeling we earned from our milk run. We got to the bus line-up just in time. Whew!!